My Little Light
by Demonwolf
Summary: Another KH fic for BATB. Have you noticed that Sora and the Beast have the same eyes? Here is my theory.


**My Little Light**

_Hey, everyone, and long time, no see! I apologize for not updating or reviewing in such a long time, but a lot has been happening on the home front and not all of it has been good. Anyway, I'll be doing a lot of updating in the future, but for now, please enjoy this fic._

The sky on this beautiful summer night could only be velvet and the stars that adorned it were the most beautiful jewels in the world, complemented only by the most spectacular pearl that was the moon. The tropical island breeze was warm and peaceful, the sound of the waves massaging the shore soothing, and the palm trees swaying in the wind an added bonus. Truly, this island was a sanctuary for any wandering soul.

Yet, the tropical beauty was lost upon one lone man who sat perched on the window seat of a two-story, but extremely nice island home. He was clad in a silken robe and cotton slippers. While his posture, his poise, his very _being_ suggested the look of a ruler, the tear tracks down the man's face left little doubt that, ruler or no ruler, he was a broken man.

"Oh, Sophia. My beautiful Sophia," the man said, a French accent giving a smooth texture to his voice. The tears continued to fall as he gazed up at the sky, wondering if his late wife was up in the heavens, watching him grieve.

The man, who had once been King Vincent of France, was now traveling to as many different worlds as he could, hoping that the end of his life would eventually find him and reunite him with his beloved queen, his darling Sophia.

"Oh, Sophia, _mon amour,_ how could this have happened? How, when our lives were going so well?" Indeed, at the time of his wife's death, it seemed as though nothing could go wrong. Peace reigned, peasants and nobles alike were happy, and his darling Sophia was with child. Their _first _child, he might add. And oh, how happy they'd been! Vincent could hardly wait for the day of his child's birth.

But when that day came, it had brought both joy and sorrow. The baby, a healthy little boy who was named Adam, was born without any damage to his young form. Queen Sophia, on the other hand, had not been so lucky. She had had a light fever the day before the birth and was weakened by it. Thus, when birth came about, her body simply could not take it any longer and she had died shortly after delivering the child.

A fresh sob escaped Vincent's lips as he recalled how hard the blow of his wife's death had struck him. However, he found that, rather than grieve by her grave, he could no longer remain in his castle. He had spoken to his brother Robert, begging his younger sibling to take the throne and rule until Adam was old enough to do so. Robert had agreed, but when the soon-to-be king requested that Vincent leave Adam in his care, the former ruler declined. No, he would rather some of his most loyal servants raise the new prince and, when he was old enough, told the story of the tragedy that had befallen his family. Robert had been a little surprised, but he hadn't fought for custody of his nephew; it was Vincent's choice, and besides, Robert had no wife and, while a kind man, was awkward with children.

The former King of France recalled the last meeting he'd had with his most faithful servants: Cogsworth, his majordomo had been present, of course, as had Mrs. Potts, the head maid, and Lumiere, the maitre'd. Naturally, the three servants had been stunned, to say the least considering what their master was proposing.

"Master!" Cogsworth's voice had risen to a squeak. "Do you realize what you are _asking?_ Please, I beg you to reconsider-"

"I am sorry, Cogsworth, but I cannot," Vincent had replied sadly. "No, you must tell the people of France that I died shortly after my wife and now lie buried at her side. That way, I can travel in peace, wait out the end of my days without the responsibilities of a ruler. If I am dead to France, then no one will bother to look for me. Please, that is what I desire most of all now; I want to travel until I can meet Sophia again."

"Master," Mrs. Potts had said soothingly. "We all feel your pain and we all wish that there was something we could do. But please, master, I beg you, consider your son." Vincent turned to face the older woman, the blue eyes that his son had inherited mirroring his grief.

"I know you will all care for my son. My mind is made up; I no longer wish to exist in France." The broken king's eyes searched the three faces before him, waiting for an answer. It was Lumiere who responded.

"If this is what you truly desire, Master, then we will obey. We only wish we could help you." Vincent smiled at the young maitre'd.

"I will not change my mind, Lumiere, but I thank you all for helping me. I too wish there was another solution, but this is what my heart is commanding me to do and I have always followed my heart."

And so, Vincent had followed his heart through many worlds, seeing many sights and learning much. But at the same time, his grief continued to fester in his wounded heart and the memories of his dear Sophia never ceased to haunt him.

That is, until he had met her. Inata.

Like him, Inata was another wounded soul, widowed early in marriage due to an unfortunate accident out at sea that had claimed her husband's life. She had been left with an inherited fortune, a very nice house, no children, and a broken soul.

When he had arrived at the islands where this fellow sufferer lived, his son, Adam was five and Vincent knew that the end of his days was near.

But when he saw Inata, when he first looked into the woman's almond eyes, he knew that he had found a temporary soul mate and had felt death lessen its hold on him a little.

They had met near the seashore, having been seemingly drawn together by sadness. They had spent nearly three hours discussing their grief and had found solace in one another's company. Knowing that Vincent would be moving on in due time, the two had decided to stay together in Inata's house, where they had achieved, for the first time in a long time, a kind of moderate happiness.

Now, staring up at the sky, Vincent's heart cried out for the one it truly loved and Vincent knew that his numbered days had reached single digits.

"Vincent." Inata's soft sweet voice, like a whippoorwill's evening song floated out from the bed. The former French king glanced back at her, then hurriedly turned away and wiped his eyes.

"Inata, please forgive me," he murmured. He heard the whisper of her feet across the carpet and felt her hand on his shoulder.

"There is nothing to forgive. I know that you are not long for this life now. I am only glad that we were able to find some small happiness together."

Vincent clutched her hand the way a child clings to a mother after a nightmare. Inata was right; this was the happiest he'd felt since Sophia had died. They had not been intimate, though; instead, they had spent the time walking near the beaches and talking about their lives, their loves, their undying grief that seemed to need something more than time to wash it away. Unfaithful to their late spouses, they had not been.

"Vincent, are you really leaving tomorrow?"

"Yes. I know I will be joining my wife soon and I don't want to burden you with another death, Inata."

"Then, I have a favor to ask of you."

"What is it?"

"Please, help me have a child." Vincent's head snapped around.

"Inata?"

"Please, Vincent. My husband came to me in a dream last night. He said not to waste this last chance. If you will help me, I will have a child in nine months. Please, Vincent." Vincent gazed into the lovely woman's eyes and trailed his fingers through her long brown hair. Then, smiling at her, he took her hand and led her back to bed.

The night they spent together was one that Inata would always hold dear to her heart and even as she was waving goodbye to Vincent the next day as his boat left the harbor, she knew that what she had done was right. Vincent, too, felt good about his actions, and as the sun sank below the horizon that night, he was finally reunited with his beloved Sophia.

A month later, when young Prince Adam had just turned six, Inata placed a hand on her stomach and sensed the life within her. And looking out at the ocean, she somehow knew that her baby would be a boy. Smiling at the thought of this new life, Inata spoke softly to the child in her womb.

"You are my little light. I love you, Sora."


End file.
